NST December Challenge - Festive and Frugal

[Deleted User]

Took a bit of a 'notion' today and gutted my upstairs. A few things off to the charity shop over the weekend and a broken chair sent to the tip. Bedrooms all looking spick and span now - I am quite proud and keep wandering into them to how they look.

I took a painted chair down to my sisters for one of her girls and the girls love it so much they are fighting over it. I need to get the other one done asap then. Quite relieved that they like it as you never know.

Other than food shopping this weekend has been a NSD weekend so feeling happy about that.

Fmess

I'm soooooo excited! Can't wait to get started tomorrow

Get your budgets and your good deeds planned, and your achievements noted, and please feel free to share, inspire and motivate. If you're new, please feel free to post a little about yourself (and if you're a returning NST please feel free to remind us all)

See you all in the morning :j I'm not usually this excited for Monday mornings!

liltdiddylilt

OMG forgot Jellys advent calendar!!! - must grab one in the morning!

SFDs: 18 aiming for more than the 15 fmess as I work better when I focus on harder numbers.
Groceries: £100 - yes I know I failed miserably at £130 last month, but hear me out... I have £100 aside for Christmas food alone. And I have a freezer full to the brim with food, bread flour, yeast etc, and a new set of scales & a loaf tin!! I will so keep within budget if I can just plan properly!!

Achievements that snuck in just before the bell for December are: Made a HM dairy free banana bread for Jelly, 2.5lbs and it is lush! Also made lasagne for the first time in my existence! And again what a success! I made tandoori chicken and again that was amazing! And I have just cashed out £80+ between TCB & Quidco

Off we go guys!! :D

Fmess

Good morning turtles

Welcome to the NST December challenge This month is dedicated to being festive yet frugal and ensuring we all start the new year without a financial hangover.

I'll be back tonight to update by signature and share my achievements of the year so far. Hope you all have a super positive first day.

Aphidgirl

I'd like to join in please, frugal festivities are definately what I need this month!

traveller

Morning everyone and happy December to you all :j:j:j

Well the little fella has come down with my awful cold so luckily I'm working from home today I may have to try to extend that until tomorrow too. It doesn't help that there is no after school club on Friday, so I have to have a short day then too as they have their school christmas disco.

Anyway the only spend I anticipate is the little mans spongebob advent calender £3.99 from Argoos But, I can't pick it up till tomorrow.

For those doing the 365 challenge can you talk me through the spreadsheet thing-I kind of switch off at that part Although I'm excited to start it again today. Well good luck everyone and have a great day

Bex296

Morning everyone, please can I join? I have attempted previous incarnations of this thread (back when it was NSK) and failed miserably, so I'm un-lurking and giving it a go to end the year well!

CoffeeandStitches

Happy December!! YAY!!!

So, budgets are almost there. I'm sticking to the food and petrol, as they worked well last month, but my freezer of batch cooking is running a little low so may need a top up.

Other spends I'm really struggling with. I've got everything for the month planned out, and assigned a budget to all of it, but the figure at the end is just HUGE! I'm almost ashamed to post it. I'm going to go through it once again tonight and see if I can shave anything off. Having said that, surely it's better to be prepared, and have the CASH to spend rather than ending the month lumping things on CC? Anyway, it's a lot of travel, a few last Christmas presents, Christmas day lunch out (this can't change), 2 Christmas work dos (this can't change) and a 30th birthday (not mine!) the jeffing dentist, the blinking jeffing car repair.... the list goes on! I think I've covered it all, but will I be on the naughty step if it's a big budget? Or will I only be on the naughty step if I don't budget and then end up having unplanned spends? I can do it, with the budget, and still pay off some (very little) CC.

GAH DECEMBER! Roll on January when we will be sitting indoors watching the balance go down!

But.... I'm not going to let the big numbers put me off. No matter what the final budget, once again as long asI end the month in less debt than I started I'll be happy. It's just making me more determined to stay in control and stick to the budget - whatever that may be!

Happy Monday all!

October_Starter

I'd like to join too but going to be more realistic and say 5 NSDs and 2 in a row!

October xx

vintagebrighton

Morning all

Only just disembarked the November vessel but anxious to get started. Will spend this afternoon sorting budgets etc. Like D the household budget runs from 20th-19th which can be a bit awkward but I can work round it.

Advent calendar opened..... very excited.... I looooove Christmas

This time last year I was about to have my 14th (and last) chemo session (2/12). This year I'm sooo grateful to be here and getting back to healthy.

VB x